Electrical connectors

ABSTRACT

The connector consists of a male plug and a female plug, one of the plugs having a pin for penetrating into the socket of the outer plug. The pin and socket are borne by insulating blocks mounted in metallic supports adapted for mutual penetration. The insulating blocks and their supports have mechanical fastening means to fasten them together. An outer ring can lock the two plugs together. Two types of mechanical supports are provided for a same connector, distinguished from each other by different lengths of mutual penetration without other changes in the structure and assembly of the other parts.

United States Patent 11 1 1111 3,754,206 Obeissart Aug. 21, 1973 [54]ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS 2,449,983 9/1948 Devol 339/89 R 2.785385 3 1957 F.7 3 9 9 75 Inventor: Albert Obeissart, I 3

Boulogne-Bmancoun France Primary ExaminerJoseph H. McGlynn [73]Assignee: Souriau & Cie, Attorney-WateIS, Roditi, Schwartz & NissenBoulogne-Billancourt, France 221 Filed: June 10, 1971 ABSTRACT Theconnector consists of a male plug and a female [2]] Appl' ll783 plug,one of the plugs having a pin for penetrating into the socket of theouter plug. The pin and socket are Foreign Application Priority Databorne by insulating blocks mounted in metallic sup- June 15, 1970 France7021908 Ports adapted for mutual Penetration The insulating blocks andtheir supports have mechanical fastening [52] 0.8. CI 339/ R means to tn t m together. An outer ring can lock 51 int. c1.....' Hon 13/54 h woplug g t er. Two ypes of mechanical sup- [58] Field of Search 339/31,89, 90 p s are provided for a am n r, distinguished from each other bydifferent lengths of mutual penetra- [56] Ref r n es Cit d tion withoutother changes in the structure and assem- UNITED STATES PATENTS blY thePans- 3,l71,706 3/1965 Daniels et al. 339/89 M 2 Claims, 2 DrawingFigures ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS The invention relates to electricalconnectors, of the type comprising pins adapted to penetrate intosockets, both being borne respectively by suitable insulating blocks,which in their turn are mounted respectively inside two hollow outersupports generally metallic, of the male and female type, that is to sayadapted, on establishing the connection, to penetrate into one another,with if necessary locking means to hold them there the assemblytherefore having the form of a male plug and a female plug. It relatesmore especially to multiple pin micro-connectors.

In connectors of this type, the free ends of the pins are presentedoutside their insulating block, at a certain distance from the mouth ofthe outer metallic support of the corresponding plug. For certain typesof connectors which are called non scoop-proof, this distance is rathersmall, so that the risk of a shortcircuit and even mechanical damagebetween the pins and the support is not excluded, by the presentation ofa metallic body in front of said support, especially through the skewpresentation of the end of the metallic support of the other plug of theconnector. For other types on the contrary, which are calledscoop-proof, the abovesaid distance is greater, which excludes theabove-mentioned risks.

It is an object of the invention to ensure, by a simple arrangement, thepassage of one to the other of the two above-mentioned types, withoutmodifying essentially the structure of the said connectors.

It consists, to this end, in providing, to constitue connectors of thetype concerned, two different types of outer metallic supports, whichonly differ from one another by their own lengths and the differentlengths of reciprocal penetration, without any change in the structureor in the mounting, inside the said support, of the insulating blockssupporting the sockets and pins and without changing either the outerparts of the said supports, effecting especially the functions offastening and of locking.

It consists, apart from this principal feature, in certain otherfeatures which are preferably used at the same time and which will bemore explicitly discussed below.

It relates, more particularly, to certain methods of application(especially those for which it is applied to miniature connectors, inparticular for aviation), as well as to certain methods of production,of the said features and it relates, more particularly again, and thisby way of new industrial products, to connectors of the type concernedcomprising application of these same features, as well as the specialelements adapted for their construction.

The invention will in any case be well understood with the aid of thesupplementary description which follows, as well as of the accompanyingdrawing, which supplement and drawing are, of course, given merely byway of illustrative but non-limiting example.

FIGS. 1 and 2, of this drawing, show respectively, each in half sectionand half elevation, one embodiment of a connector of the non scoop-prooftype and a connector of the scoop-proof type, constructed according tothe invention.

According to the invention, and more particularly according to those ofits methods of application, as well as according to those of the methodsof production of its various parts, to which it would seem thatpreference should be given, in order for example to convert a nonscoop-proof connector into a scoop-proof connector, procedure is asfollows or in analogous manner.

The procedure is such that the outer metallic supports, of male andfemale type, adapted to contain the insulating'block supporting the pinsand sockets, are brought to interpenetrate one another differentlyaccording as it relates to one or other of the two abovementioned types,but without modification of the structure and of the assembly of thesaid blocks, nor of the means employed for their fastening and theirlocking.

There will now be shown, in the following, by way of example, one of theprocedures.

There is shown in FIG. 1, a connector of the non scoop-proof" type.

In this connector, the pins of the male connector are borne by aninsulating block 2, where they are for example held in place by a clipdevice 3. The said block, which is especially of thermosetting plasticsmaterial, is introduced and held in place inside a metallic support 4(especially with a clamping ring 5 screwing at 6 on the said support),and with the interposition of a sealing part of rubber or otherelastomeric material 7. An interfacial joint is provided at 8. A flange4 is included by the support 4, to ensure fastening on one wall.

It is seen that, in this embodiment, the distance d 'between the endplate of pins 1 and the mouth of the support 4 is slight the connectoris non scoop-proof."

The female part, bearing sockets 9, is devised in analogous manner, withthe block 10, the clip device 11, the ring 12, the elastic part 13 andthe outer metallic support 14 on which the said ring is screwed at 15.

It should be noted lastly that outer locking means are provided to holdthe two plugs in connected position. Thus these means can include a ring16 borne by a shoulder or boss 17 provided on the outer metalluc support14, so as to be rotatable around the axis of the plug. By rotating, thisring, cooperating with a-peg l8 and helicoidal groove 19, tends to bringtogether and lock the two plugs, in combination with a spring such as161.

For the said connected position, the free end 20 of the metallic support14 -which is assumed here to be of male type, penetrating into thecorresponding female part 21 of the support 4- is supported on a sealingwasher 22, itself resting against an inner ledge 23 of support 4.

This being the case, to convert, according to the inventin, theconnector which has just been described, into a scoop-proof connector,there is effected, without any change in the assembly, a modificationonly of the manner in which the two supports 4 and 14 areinterpenetrated into one another.

It is seen firstly, as regards support 4, that its active portion 21 isextended, so that the distance d (FIG. 2) is increased, ensuring theprotection sought.

Through this fact, and since it is desired to change nothing in thevarious functions of the other support 14, especially as regards itsportion 17 or boss receiving the part 16 and its thread 15 cooperatingwith the ring 12, it is necessary to provide a greater interpenetrationof the two supports 4 and 14 to this end, a cavity is provided at 24,under the portion 17, to receive the end of the cylindrical portion 21.

Similarly, the terminal portion 20 of the support 14, has been extended,and the support 4 is advantageously hollowed, so that theabove-mentioned ledge 23 is all the more withdrawn.

By thus extending the male portion 20 of the support 14, as was done forthe female portion 21 of the support 4, so that the two supportsinterpenetrate one another over a sufficient length L, the advantageousresult is obtained that, even if the respective positions of blocks 2and are reversed in the supports 4 and 14 that is to say the block 10coming into the position of the block 2 and converselythe scoop-proofcondition remains respected.

In fact, when the block 2 occurs mounted in the support 14, the increaseat of the length of this support ensures said condition.

This is to be seen in FIG. 2, where there has been shown, indiscontinuous line, how the joint 8 and the ends of the pins 1, arepresented, when the male portion is presented at the right instead ofbeing at the left (and conversely for the female portion). [t is to benoted that the distance d, between the ends of the pins and the edge ofthe free end 20 of support 14 is larg and ensures the scoop-proofcondition.

In any case, it is seen that, due to the invention, there is apossibility of creating two respective ranges of non scoop-proof" andscoop-proof connectors, with the same parts, the same assemblies, andonly by differentiating the two types through the nature of supports 4and I4.

As a a result of which, whatever the embodiment adopted, there can beconstructed connectors whose operation and assembly emerge sufficientlyfrom the foregoing for it to be unnecessary to dwell on this subject andwhich have, with respect to preexisting connectors, the main advantageof greater simplicity of manufacture.

As it is self-evident, and as emerges already from the foregoing, theinvention is in no way limited to those of its methods of applicationand production which have been more especially considered itencompasses, on the contrary, all variations.

I claim:

1. Electrical connector, with a male plug and a female plug, of the typecomprising, in one of the plugs, pins intended to penetrate into socketsof the other plug, said pins and sockets being borne by insulatingblocks, themselves mounted inside metallic supports adapted for mutualpenetration, in combination with mechanical means for ensuring fasteningtogether of the insulating blocks and their supports, and with means,actuated by an outer ring, to ensure locking together of the two plugs,characterised by the fact that there are provided, for a same connector,two types of metallic supports, distinguished from each other by adifferent length of mutual penetration, without other changes in thestructure and assembly of the other parts, wherein one of the supportshas a boss on which the outer locking ring is supported, said ring beingidentical for scoop-proof and non scoop-proof plugs, and said boss, inthe case of supports of maximum mutual penetration, is channelled toenable the penetration of the free end of the other support.

2. Connector according to claim 1, wherein the two supports of maximummutual penetration are both covered over a sutficient length so that, ifthe position of the two insulating blocks bearing the pins and socketsrespectively is reversed, there still remains, between the free end ofthe pins and the edge of the corresponding support, a sufficientdistance to ensure protection against short-circuits and againstmechanical damage.

1. Electrical connector, with a male plug and a female plug, of the typecomprising, in one of the plugs, pins intended to penetrate into socketsof the other plug, said pins and sockets being borne by insulatingblocks, themselves mounted inside metallic supports adapted for mutualpenetration, in combination with mechanical means for ensuring fasteningtogether of the insulating blocks and their supports, and with means,actuated by an outer ring, to ensure locking together of the two plugs,characterised by the fact that there are provided, for a same connector,two types of metallic supports, distinguished from each other by adifferent length of mutual penetration, without other changes in thestructure and assembly of the other parts, wherein one of the supportshas a boss on which the outer locking ring is supported, said ring beingidentical for scoop-proof and non scoop-proof plugs, and said boss, inthe case of supports of maximum mutual penetration, is channelled toenable the penetration of the free end of the other support. 2.Connector according to claim 1, wherein the two supports of maximummutual penetration are both covered over a sufficient length so that, ifthe position of the two insulating blocks bearing the pins and socketsrespectively is reversed, there still remains, between the free end ofthe pins and the edge of the corresponding support, a sufficientdistance to ensure protection against short-circuits and againstmechanical damage.